Depression is a witch. It appears out of nowhere and poof! Before you know it, you're negotiating with it for your life and happiness. But you're not very good at negotiating, and the witch always seems to win. It's otherworldly, and that world seems to only hold darkness.
While this may be hard to believe when you're depressed, it is possible to fight your depression. Yes, that witch can be banished and your kingdom can prosper again. It won't be easy. It will take concerted and sustained effort. So how can you beat the dark forces that have amassed against you?
The Psychology of the Problem
Depression is the state of being in a lower mood than usual (for you). It's usually accompanied by a loss of interest in activities that you previously liked to engage in. Other symptoms include feelings of worthlessness, guilt, and sleeping too much or too little, among others. If you're curled up reading this at 3:00 a.m., haven't showered in three days, and can't remember if 'fun' is an actual three-letter word, then you're probably depressed.
More serious instances may also be accompanied by a sense of hopelessness about the future, recurring thoughts of death, or plans to commit/attempts at suicide. If you have any such thoughts, you should immediately seek help. If you're in Canada, the 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline offers support that is bilingual, trauma-informed, and culturally appropriate. If you're not in Canada, The International Association for Suicide Prevention can help you to find local support in your region.
Your depressive state might have started with you experiencing a low mood, triggered by any number of things including a sudden loss, failures or challenges, or physiological issues. It is normal to feel depressed when facing difficult situations. However, instead of being temporarily affected by the trigger, a person with depression finds that they are hindered by negative thoughts about themselves and about their situation. This then contributes to their depressed mood, leading to further inactivity and a self-perpetuating negative cycle. You didn't mean for it to get this bad, but now it feels like your depression has depression. So how can you break the cycle?
Practical Tips Related to Depression
Two important components of depression are inactivity and negative thoughts. Inactivity keeps you in the same physical state. There are things that you should do, but you've left them for so long that they feel overwhelming. So you just veg out. Negative thoughts keep you in the same mental state. You keep telling yourself (or that witch keeps whispering in your ear) that you're a failure, and that there is no point. Here are two things that can help:
Break things into tiny steps.
Don't believe everything that you think.
Break Things Into Tiny Steps
When we have a big task to complete, it is easy to become overwhelmed when thinking about how far we are from completing it. Instead of focusing on the end, break the task down into a series of small steps, and then focus on just the current step.
For example, let's say your kitchen looks like it's from the set of a post-apocalyptic movie. Instead of thinking about how big of a job cleaning the kitchen will be, break it down into smaller steps:
Buying cleaning supplies
Washing the cups
Washing the pots
Taking out the trash
Cleaning the counter
Then just do one step, and then take a break. Do another step later, or the next day. And, this is very important, give yourself credit for completing each small step. Avoid the urge to criticise yourself for not being able to "just do it". This is related to the second tip to fight your depression.
Don't Believe Everything That You Think
There are common patterns of thinking that affect all of us as humans. They are distortions of reality, and our brains just love using them. Some examples include:
All-or-nothing thinking: "I'm a complete failure."
Disqualifying the positive: "I washed the pots, but the kitchen is still a mess."
Emotional reasoning: "I feel worthless, so I must be a worthless person."
In normal times, these kinds of thoughts might put you in a bad mood for an afternoon and no longer. But when you're depressed, these thoughts give your depression a yearlong lease and it promptly stops paying rent. When you notice yourself having these thoughts, remind yourself that "that's just the depression talking."
Conclusion
Depression can be managed by fighting the pull towards inactivity and actively responding to negative thoughts. But even this two-step plan could feel overwhelming. A trusted friend or family member can help here. Share this article with them, and tell them that you would like some help putting the plan into practice. And if you need additional support, you can also book a free consultation session to explore how therapy can help you overcome depression.
References
Beck, J. S. (2020). Cognitive Behavior Therapy, third edition: Basics and Beyond. Guilford Publications.
Lazcano, G. (n.d.). Man in black shirt sitting on chair [Photograph]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/man-in-black-shirt-sitting-on-chair-ulPAVuxITEw https://unsplash.com/photos/man-in-black-shirt-sitting-on-chair-ulPAVuxITEw
Public Health Agency of Canada. (2025, August 27). Mental health support: Get help. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/mental-health-services/mental-health-get-help.html
